Simeon’s Turn
On the evening of January 16th, Titus and Newa made a trip to the town of Omkoi so we could surprise Simeon with the news of building a new church in Na Khrai village. Titus and Newa were unable to travel all the way into the Na Khrai because of COVID. During a video chat, we were able to tell Simeon that we had already raised almost
200,000 baht, which is $6,450 of the $10,000 goal. Simeon said the Christians in Na Khrai have also been raising money. At the time of our chat, Simeon said they had raised 30,000 baht ($1,000).
Our discussion revealed some things that need to be done before building can begin. First, they will need to level off the site for the new building. This would require fill dirt which will then have to settle before building begins. They will also go to the jungle to cut wood for making the rafters. There is no burning at this time, so they will wait
until the rainy season begins. The wood will then need to dry before using. Even though these two needs will take time to be completed, Simeon did say they could start carrying sand from a nearby river for mixing concrete. Simeon told us that the dimensions of the new concrete block church will be approximately 40 feet x 20 feet.
We’re excited to finally be able to do this for Simeon and the village of Na Khrai! He’s waited a long time.
Another High School Graduate
It’s hard to believe that we have another high school graduate from Gethsemane Home! Thiti has been with us since the ministry began in June 2011. He just recently graduated from The Vachiralai Bee School. Thiti was invited to attend this school because of his football (soccer) skills. He played for the varsity team and was even selected to take a trip to England during his second year there. Like so many students around the world, Thiti did not get a graduation ceremony.
Thiti will be attending Rajabhat University in the fall studying Japanese. He excelled with learning the language in high school and wants to continue. We’re excited to see where the future may take him!
Gethsemane Home Improvements
In the September 2020 issue of Thai Tidbits, we shared that several improvements had been completed around Gethsemane Home. You may recall that in June of last year new metal roofs were placed on both buildings. This included extending the roof out farther on the back side of the girl’s room. In September, Under the Son Ministries also paid for the materials and labor to pour concrete in the areas behind both buildings at Gethsemane.
During a conversation with Titus in February, he told us he would like to extend the roof out farther on the back side of the newer building. Titus said that they had some sheet metal left over from when the new roofs were put on last year. He thought there would be several benefits to creating an additional area under the roof. After seeing the pictures of the space that was created, we were very pleased.
Exploring God’s Word
How much time do you spend reading God’s Word? A couple of weeks ago Moses told us he was planning to bring the Under the Son staff members together for a week of reading through the gospels. Moses wanted to know if the ministry would help with the cost of feeding everyone during this time. We thought it was a great idea and agreed to help.
Moses divided three days of worship and Bible reading into different sessions each day. Moses led the morning and afternoon sessions which ran from 9 am to noon and 2 to 4:30 pm. Titus then led an evening session which went from 7 to 9 pm. During the three days they were able to read and discuss the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke through the eighth chapter. For consistency, they all used the Lahu Bible because there is only one translation available, whereas there are several Bible translations in the Thai language. This was a great opportunity for fellowship as they all read God’s Word together.
First Wedding at Gethsemane
We’re happy to share that Samuel was married on March 27th! He is Titus and Newa’s oldest son and the first of the children at Gethsemane Home to be married. We’re excited to be able to meet his new wife, Kanda.
The wedding took place the morning of the 27th in her home village. They returned from there that day and held a worship service at Antioch Church and a celebration at Gethsemane Home in the evening. There were an estimated 400 people in attendance.
Congratulations, Samuel and Kanda!
Upcoming Fundraising Events
We have three fundraisers happening in the next couple of months. Again this year, we pre-ordered 350 geraniums in December that will be delivered to our house the end of April. At this time we are taking pre-orders. We will have hot pink, dark red, coral, galaxy purple, and lavender colors available. If you are wanting to order any, please contact us soon by calling 660-254-5775 or emailing us at [email protected]. They are going quickly!
We have a fundraiser at Pizza Ranch scheduled for April 19th. The fundraiser will be held from 4 to 7 PM that evening. We will receive 10% of the sales for that night and be busing tables for tips. You will also be able to purchase
items from Thailand. Hope you can join us!
Finally, we will be participating in a Spring Craft Fair at Beal Park in Maryville on Saturday, May 8th, from 9 AM to 2 PM.
Proceeds from all of these fundraisers will be used for our educational fund that pays for school lunches, high school tuition, and tuition for any of our children at Gethsemane Home that choose to attend a university. These fundraisers are important for the ministry as we now have four of our children attending university, three freshmen and one senior.
Again, we thank you for your continued support of these fundraisers!
